(847) 298-5030

Estate Planning
Probate and Trust Administration
Corporate
Real Estate

HIGHLIGHTS OF PRACTICE:
Concentrating in Estate Planning and Probate and Trust Administration:

• Over 20 years of experience in preparing estate plans ranging from simple wills to trust based plans in excess of $10 million, including simple and complex wills, individual trusts, marital/credit shelter trusts, joint trusts, supplemental needs trusts (disability trusts), pet trusts, powers of attorney for property and health care, living wills, HIPPA authorizations, and special medical directives.

• Represented executors, trustees, and beneficiaries in probate estates, trust administrations, small estates and guardianships, including preparation of petitions and related filings, compliance with statutory notice requirements, preparation of Federal and State Estate Tax Returns, preparation of estate accountings and distributions, handling of claims issues and related estate administration matters.

• Management of firm's residential real estate practice (approximately 300 closings per year) including contract preparation, title and survey review, title clearance, mortgage document review and various closing-related matters.

• Represented buyers and sellers in over 2,000 residential real estate closings; represented landlords and tenants in residential and commercial lease transactions and prepared and negotiated leases for various properties.

• General counsel over 22 years for Greenbrier & Russel, Inc., a multi-million dollar computer consulting company headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois until its acquisition by Fujitsu Consulting, Inc. in February of 2006. As general counsel, responsibilities included corporate governance, contract preparation, contract negotiation, employee issues and human resources, management of local counsel for offices outside of Illinois and coordination of all other corporate legal matters.

• Prepared and negotiated software development agreements, software reseller agreements, marketing and preferred vendor agreements, confidentiality agreements, technology training agreements, intellectual property rights, employee protective agreements, joint venture agreements, subcontractor agreements, separation agreements and related software consulting agreements.

• Corporate counsel, along with father J. Clayton MacDonald (1926-2001), for over 30 years for the Des Plaines Park District, which representation has included preparation of various business, license, annexation and acquisition agreements for numerous park properties along with handling of several multi-million dollar land developments and acquisitions including Prairie Lakes Commuunity Center, Mountain View Adventure Center and the Golf Center Des Plaines.

• Represented small business owners with various legal issues including entity selection, incorporations, contract review and negotiations, employment law and related business matters.